South Florida to see near freezing temps overnight

Homeless and cold

Michael Laughlin, Sun Sentinel

Homeless friends James, Renee, and Mark bundle up under blankets while sleeping in a parking lot off of NW 1st Ave, in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Tuesday, January 3, 2012, where blankets and coffee were distributed to the homeless by the Cosac Foundation.

Homeless friends James, Renee, and Mark bundle up under blankets while sleeping in a parking lot off of NW 1st Ave, in downtown Fort Lauderdale, Tuesday, January 3, 2012, where blankets and coffee were distributed to the homeless by the Cosac Foundation. (Michael Laughlin, Sun Sentinel)

South Florida was expected to be socked with near freezing temperatures on Wednesday morning, the coldest in almost a year, prompting shelters to open, growers to take protective measures and residents to turn up the heat.

“We're not in Buffalo, are we?” said Dan DeNisco, who hit a Dunkin’ Donuts in Tamarac for hot coffee on Tuesday morning. “This isn't why we live in Florida.”

The coldest conditions were expected to arrive just before daybreak, with Palm Beach County forecast to see readings in the low- to mid-30s, and Broward and Miami-Dade counties to be in the mid- to upper 30s.

Despite the teeth-chattering cold, the weather service on Tuesday said 2011 was the warmest year on record for West Palm Beach and Miami. It was the third warmest in Fort Lauderdale.

The average temperature at Palm Beach International Airport for the year was 77.62 degrees, beating the previous record of 77.45 degrees, set in 1990. The average temperature at Miami International was 77.27 degrees, beating the previous record of 78.12 degrees, also set in 1990.

This week’s frigid blast is the result of arctic air that actually originated in Siberia, Russia, not far from Alaska, said meteorologist Robert Molleda.

“So we're not exaggerating by calling this a Siberian Express,” he said.

The same front also chilled out the rest of the state. Temperatures on Wednesday morning were forecast to plunge to 30 degrees in Orlando, 23 in Tampa and 21 in Jacksonville.

Because exposure to too much cold can lead to hypothermia, the weather service recommended residents, mainly small children and seniors, either stay indoors or bundle up on Wednesday morning. And because cold air is extremely dry, the weather service urged residents be careful not to spark wildfires with cigarettes, vehicle exhaust or outdoor burning.

A freeze warning was posted for the far western sections of the region through 9 a.m. on Wednesday. It was mainly intended to alert nurseries and vegetable growers that plants and crops could be at risk.

To prevent damage, nurseries watered plants and growers covered green peppers and tomatoes with thin plastic on Tuesday. Some farmers were considering hiring helicopters to fly above the fields to keep crops warm overnight, said Arthur Kirstein, of the University of Florida’s Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service.

High water levels and wet soil will help protect vegetables from biting frost, said Richard Bowman, owner of Harvest Time Farms, west of Delray Beach and Boynton Beach.

“We’ve got to keep warmth levels as high as possible,” said Bowman, who grows squash, cucumbers and peppers on two farms that cover 180 acres.

Cold weather shelters opened across South Florida on Tuesday night, and service organizations went into action. The Salvation Army opened its shelter in Fort Lauderdale. The Homeless Voice, a non-profit organization based in Hollywood, dispatched an emergency team in a van to provide blankets, hot drinks, and medical services to homeless people, as well as rides to shelters.

Although possible, it’s unlikely any cold records will be broken on Wednesday, the weather service said. The coldest reading for Jan. 4 in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami was 32 degrees, each set in 1918.

During the morning hours on Tuesday, feels-like temperatures fell into the 30s, as winds gusted to more than 20 mph. High temperatures ranged from the low 50s in Palm Beach to the upper 50s in Broward.

Some enjoyed the nippy weather.

“You look forward to having fresh weather like this - for a week or so,” said Kenneth Simpson, 52, of Parkland, as he sat outside a Starbucks.

Others wished it were warmer.

“It surprised me. I didn't expect it to be this cold,” said Alejandro La Corte, of Doral.

Brenda Howard, a school crossing guard at North Side Elementary, tries to keep warm in this morning's cool weather. Early morning temperatures dipped into the 40's and are expected to be even chillier Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, as the forecast calls for readings to dive to the low...

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